On day 2 of the Barcelona cruise now on ship Azamara Quest. First comment is don't expect Pearl. It's not. The pool is not heated. I've seen zero people in it. Second, the two hot tubs have room for MAYBE eight people each. Nudity is allowed only on pool deck, sun deck, or playroom, and only while at sea. No nudity while on port, which is where you will mostly be. I've seen a few violate this rule but most abide. No sex anywhere but playroom or your own room. I've seen a few violate this rule, too, but most do not. About 600 passengers is a full boat, so the boat is big but not that big. It does rock and roll in the light to medium chop we've experienced today. If your prone to motion sickness this will do it to you. I'm not, but my wife is. She's out at the moment because of the mildly rough ride. Lots of talk pre-cruise about buying drink packages. Nobody could tell me what the cost of drinks straight up, meaning not buying a package deal. Here you go. Standard issue beer just under $6, standard issue wine just under $10. Wine served free at evening meal. Maybe lunch, too, but I've not done sit-down lunch. Soft drinks, club soda, tonic free. Two private dining restaurants for an added cost. Reservations needed. I've not been. Evening buffet is quite good. Open seating.

We did Venice and would echo the above. Just returned, last night, from RM.

The boat was nice, it seemed more people participated in the costumes at night, but that was about it for us. We never found the same rhythm that we did at RM, and Pearl previously. We didn't care much for the pool, which was cold, the hot tubs were tiny and not really used at night (or even available?), and the pool area was really, really loud, at least for us. Felt more like I would expect at Temptations. Sin room was a bunch of twin mattresses on the floor, separated from the disco by sheets, with LOTS of people standing around watching. None of it had the same vibe, to us, as the resort, but maybe that is the allure for some.

We decided we much prefer the set up and pace at RM versus the boat. We go to Europe and prefer to move at our own pace, spend more time in each city, explore the food, etc. RM, we just love the rhythm...

Should mention that weeks out from departure Desire pulled a port off our agenda and replaced it with nothing. I complained, as did others, but, in short, I was told "read the fine print." So no replacement port. No compensation.

The entertainment is incredibly bad. The music selection at the disco is incredibly good. Participation in theme nights is strong, but there are no contests. The theme nights are dress up events. They're fun, though. I think they add to the vibe. I'd say the disconnect when comparing to Pearl or RM is the number of people. This cruise is sold out, which puts the people count at well over 600. The problem beyond that is there is no one meeting place. As mentioned, the sticker on the hot tub says "capacity 8", so the two tubs = 16 people, and above that is that the pool is not useable cuz it's not heated. Oh, the weather! It's been miserable. The last two days its been raining and barely 60F. Not Desire's fault, but I would suggest you consult the net for historical weather info for your destination and time of year. Ages? All over the map. The young set, saying 35 and down, mingles pretty much within their age bracket. I'd say they are 30% of the mix. There are a scheduled events. I see on today's schedule morning stretch, yoga, fat burning seminar, pole dance clinic, acupuncture seminar, and Amrita awakening.

On the boat with you now, Razman, and we’d echo 100% of everything you’ve said here... except...

We’re in our 30’s and there is no way in hell 30% of this boat is in our bracket. We had dinner last night with a couple in their 40s who thought (until they met us) that they were some of the youngest ones on the cruise. We think the breakdown is more like60+ - 35%50-60 - 45%40-50 - 15%30-40 - 5%

We feel like if you’re expecting “Desire at Sea” you’ll be disappointed, as we are. For all the reasons Razman listed: almost no nudity, no central meeting spot, no hot tubs to speak of, and the weather. Like he said, obviously Desire can’t control meteorological conditions, but this weather is EXACTLY what the average is in most of these places. So, don’t expect RM or Pearl at sea.... expect a nice cruise, with nice ports of call, with nice people. If that doesn’t sound worth it, then don’t do it.

One last little note: with all the drink packages, upgraded dining, and even things like a shuttle from the boat in to town costing $150 be ready to spend more than the cost of the cruise itself. Seems like they’re always trying to pull more money out of you - I know that’s standard fare for a cruise, but it’s NOT standard fare for a Desire experience.

Hoping the weather will improve for all of you on the cruise.Assuming most guest are Desire veterans would you say is the same percentage of Americans, Canadians, Latinos, Europeans as on average in RM or Pearl ?Sorry to hear that Sete/Cap D’Agde has been cancelled. That would be one of highlights for us. Was it due to the weather ?

Hello to our fellow cruisers! Yes, the $150 fee for boat to airport is outrageous. I had signed up but cancelled that due to my annoyance with the cost. We used uber in Barcelona no problem. Also The net tells me about $75 to get to airport from cruise port. No, the Sete port was cancelled weeks ago. No reason provided. And, yes, this weather is standard fare for early May. As to the age breakdown, I concede to my fellow travelers. The farther I get from 30 the more everyone else looks 30. Since he/she states being 30, his/her estimation is likely accurate. We did the Fat Tire Bike Tour in Barcelona and enjoyed it. The Hop On / Hop Off bus tours have value. You get a solid overview plus the ability to get off at a point of interest to explore. On that topic, I am "churched" out. I do not need any more churches. Ha.

We pretty much agree with what's been said here. Cool rainy weather, not many opportunities to use the pool area, playroom was fairly nice but not managed well (no towels and no cleaning crew until it closed), entertainment was poor and not what we've come to expect from Desire but the disco and deejays were fantastic. Great time at "Oops" lifestyle club in Barcelona. Small cozy ship, great service, house wine was much better than at Desire due to the location of the ship and we didn't get the premium drink package because we knew we'd be off the ship a lot. Age breakdown: most over 50 (including us) but we did meet many couples in their 40s and a few in their 30s. Best part about the cruise: the people! We had a great time but don't expect RM or Pearl at sea.